Enjoying a steak dinner has been a favorite meal for me back as far as I can remember. At least once a month on Sunday afternoons, dad would fire up the charcoal grill and would make some of the most delicious rib eye steaks you could ever ask for.

There are many different cuts of steak, and steak enthusiasts have their own opinions as to what the best cuts of steak are. Some may prefer a more tender filet, while others go for the big flavor of a bone-in cut. Generally speaking, the best cuts of steak are those that need no tenderizing and don’t require long marinades or braises to impart flavor and texture. You will pay more for these cuts, but their quality is second to none.

1.        Filet Mignon

• Cut from the most tender part of the short loin, many consider filet mignon to be the most premium cut of steak available. It is tender, juicy, and takes very little work to make it delicious. A bit of salt and fresh ground pepper and a few minutes over high heat, whether on a grill or in a pan, are all this cut needs. It is best served rare to medium rare.

• Porterhouse

  A Porterhouse cut is actually two steaks in one: part top loin and part tenderloin. Many cooks consider this the best steak, because you get the flavor of a strip steak and the tender, buttery texture of a filet mignon in one serving. Porterhouse steaks are often grilled and can also be broiled or pan-seared.

• T-Bone

  The only difference between a T-Bone and a Porterhouse is the amount of tenderloin attached to the bone. A T-Bone has a smaller amount of tenderloin and is therefore mostly top loin meat, which is less tender but packs more beef flavor. Like the Porterhouse, a T-Bone steak can be grilled, broiled or sauteed in a pan.

• New York Strip or Kansas City Strip

  When the top loin section of a T-Bone or Porterhouse steak is removed from the bone and served by itself, it becomes a New York strip steak, sometimes also called a Kansas City strip steak. While not as tender as the tenderloin section, the strip steak possesses more assertive beef flavor. Strip steaks are often grilled.

• Rib Eye or Delmonico

  The rib eye (also known as Delmonico) steak is known for its richly marbled meat. The fat adds moisture and flavor as the steak cooks, giving it a tender texture and strong beef taste. This juicy cut is served boneless. A rib eye is great grilled or broiled.

• Sirloin

  The sirloin section of the cow is behind the short loin, which is closer to the rump of the cow. These muscles are not as tender as those from the short loin, but still have plenty of flavor. Sirloin steaks can be bone-in or boneless. Thick and beefy and loaded with steak flavor, sirloin steaks are ideal grilling.

The Marinade

This is a simple yet flavorful marinade I like to use in combination with my own Steak Seasoning, that I call Riverbed Steak Seasoning. This marinade will keep the meat moist while grilling and will work with the seasoning to really add some great flavors  to the meat.

Marinade:

(This is for 2 steaks, you can adjust for more or less)

2- tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

11/2 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

3- tablespoons red wine- A Shiraz works well

2 cloves- fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon- lemon juice

½ teaspoon- Thyme leaf

1 tablespoon- fresh cracked black peppercorn

Combine the above ingredients and set aside,

Place steaks in a large glass baking dish and sprinkle generously with Texas Gourmet’s Riverbed Steak Seasoning, using the palm of your hand push the seasoning into the meat on both sides, then pour the marinade over the steaks , turn them a couple times to coat them all over then cover with Saran Wrap or with foil and place in the refrigerator .  Two to four hours is enough but overnight won’t hurt them. Approximately 45 minutes to an hour before time to grill them, pull the steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to sit out on the counter in the same baking dish.

Grilling:

You can use gas or charcoal to grill the steaks, just remember that a good hot fire will assist in properly grilling the steaks to perfection. Also, having a vented lid with your grill will allow for the heat to create a convection type of cooking to assure even cooking. I like to start my steaks out on top of the fire for a couple minutes just to give an initial sear to hold in the juices, then move them to cook indirectly and covered for the duration of the grilling. A good digital meat thermometer is an essential tool for most cooks when grilling all types of meats, steaks included. The chart below will show proper temperatures for doneness of steaks.

It is essential you know the internal temperatures of the foods you are cooking. Trying to cook based on times given in a recipe is a mistake that I make all the time. There are so many variables that go into cooking times that it is impossible to know when a piece of meat is ready to come off the saute’ pan, grill or out of the oven.

The biggest mistake most home cooks make is not to account for resting time. Heck, most of us don’t even realize they need to let meat or poultry rest for a period of time so the juices redistribute into the meat. Professional chefs have told me they know when something is done just by touching it, but they still carry and rely on their digital thermometers.

Cooking anything to perfection requires knowing when it reaches the ideal internal temperature before and after resting. These temperature are a good guide but if you find your prefer your medium-rare steak a little more done, adjust the temps to suit your personal tastes.

Note, these are not USDA Recommendations. The USDA temperatures are conservatively 10º – 15º higher because of food safety but not many professional chefs are cooking your medium-rare steak to 150º F. You would send it back in an instant.

Meat Temperatures & Doneness Chart

The “Remove” temperature on the left is the target temperature to remove from heat source.

The “Ideal” temperature on the right is the ideal internal temperature after resting.

These temperatures are all Fahrenheit.

	Rare		Medium-Rare		Medium		Medium-Well
	Remove	Ideal	Remove	Ideal	Remove	Ideal	Remove	Ideal
Beef Steaks	125º	130º	130º	135º	140º	145º	155º	160º
Beef Roasts	120º	130º	125º	130º	135º	145º	150º	160º
Lamb Chop	125º	130º	130º	135º	140º	145º	155º	160º
Lamb Roast	120º	130º	125º	130º	135º	145º	150º	160º
Pork Chops	-	-	-	-	140º	145º	155º	160º
Pork Roasts	-	-	-	-	135º	145º	150º	160º
Veal Chops	-	-	130º	135º	140º	145º	155º	160º
Veal Roasts	-	-	125º	130º	135º	145º	150º	160º